Godshall is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a person who was "gode," meaning "good," along with "saule, or soule," meaning "soul." Thus it is thought to have originally been a nickname for a good soul, or honest person, which then went on to become a hereditary surname.

Godshall Early Origins

The surname Godshall was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times, some say before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D. We cannot support Lower, Bardsley, and Harrison who claim that the name was from Gods-Hill in the Isle of Wight.

Godshall Spelling Variations

Godshall Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Godshall were recorded, including Godsell, Godsall, Goldsalde, Godseel, Godsel, Godsalve and many more.

Godshall Early History

Godshall Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Godshall research. Another 279 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1505 and 1556 are included under the topic Early Godshall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Godshall Early Notables (pre 1700)

Godshall Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Godshall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Godshall In Ireland

Godshall In Ireland

Some of the Godshall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Godshall family emigrate to North America:

Godshall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andrew Godshall, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Contemporary Notables of the name Godshall (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Godshall (post 1700)

Raymond Godshall Jr. (1919-2012), American actor, known for Glory (1989), father of Liberty Godshall

Ray Godshall Sr., American actor, known for The Last Samurai (2003) and Love & Other Drugs (2010)

Liberty Godshall, American producer known for her work on Once and Again (1999), thirtysomething (1987) and Special Bulletin (1983)

Robert W. "Bob" Godshall (b. 1933), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Robert W. Godshall (b. 1933), American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 2004; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2004 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

A. Ray Godshall, American Democrat politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1936 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

Citations

Citations

^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.

Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.

The Godshall Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Godshall Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.